PLACENTIA – The first weekend of the season could be considered a success for the Calvary Chapel wrestling team.
Without the nationally ranked Thomas Brothers (Jeremy and Justin) in the lineup, Calvary Chapel had seven medalists with four champions to post a second-place finish at the 35-team El Dorado Invitational Saturday at El Dorado High.
“I saw a lot of good stuff,” Calvary Chapel coach Jacob Harman said. “I saw a lot of good data and that’s all these tournaments are, just data. We’re not trying to win the whole year on December 5, we’re trying to win it in March like everybody else. I got all the data I needed for right now.
“I saw some honorable performances and I saw some things that we can improve upon.”
Hillcrest of Riverside won the team title.
Sophomore Elijah Palacio (106) was the first Calvary Chapel champion, winning his finals match 11-0. In his first high school tournament, freshman Luciano Arroyo (113) edged Isaiah Hinojosa of Shadow Hills of Indio, 7-6, in the finals.
Johnny Knowles (138) needed double overtime to outlast Canyon’s Ethyn Ewing, 3-1 in the finals. With the match tied 1-1 after regulation, Knowles scored on a reversal in the first overtime and was able to ride Ewing for the final 30-second extra period.
Also, Morris Wilner (182) defeated Brian Hissong of La Costa Canyon, 1-0 in their finals match.
Gabriel Collins (145) was a finalist in his weight class. He was defeated by El Dorado’s Vincent Dehakiz, 7-0 in the finals.
“I was really pleased with how everyone presented himself on the mat,” Harman said. “It was good to get under a whistle, so we can see how we feel with a real referee and all of that. We train and simulate all the time and it was nice to see those things all matter out here.
“I’m pleased … I’m nothing but pleased. There’s not a shred of disappointment in anything that happened because it is all winning and learning, truly it is.”
San Clemente’s Tyler Meisinger (152) and Kyle Marshall (171) were the other county individual champions. Meisinger won his finals match by fall and Marshall edged Dillon Herrera (Yorba Linda), 3-0 in the finals.
Jacob Morales (Canyon, 132) and Tommy Hoover (Troy, 160) were also finalists at their respective weights.
Canyon (139.5) and Yorba Linda (116.5), finished fourth and seventh, respectively. Troy was 10th. The Comanches also had seven medalists.
Contact the writer: dcalhoun@ocregister.com
